UMass Medical School ranked tops in New England for primary care

The annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best graduate schools names UMass Medical School the best for primary care education in all of New England. UMMS ranks in the top 10 percent nationwide in primary care, coming in 14th among 140 medical schools and 30 schools of osteopathic medicine surveyed by the weekly news magazine in its 2018 edition of the “Best Graduate Schools.” The 2018 U.S. News report marks a rise of two spots for UMMS in both primary care and research, which was ranked 50th.

“We are very proud of the fact that UMass Medical School has so successfully maintained fidelity to its founding mission of providing high-quality, affordable medical education that benefits the commonwealth and the nation,” said Chancellor Michael F. Collins. “The majority of our graduates choose primary care specialties; the majority will practice here in Massachusetts; and that critical, positive impact will only increase as we expand our class size and our partnerships from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, and everywhere in between. That, coupled with our robust, innovative and collaborative research enterprise truly sets UMass Medical School apart.”

The UMMS School of Medicine continues to grow, most recently with an expansion in class size to 162 students in the incoming Class of 2021, and a new regional campus in Springfield, focused on primary care. UMass Medical School-Baystate, a partnership between Baystate Health, UMass Amherst and UMMS, will train primary care doctors in urban and rural community health. The Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health program (PURCH) signifies the continuing institutional commitment to developing primary care physicians. It is currently accepting its first class of PURCH students who will begin their medical education in August.

“The faculty, staff and students at UMass Medical School are more than deserving of this national acclaim,” said Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts. “As a world-class academic health sciences center, the heart of their mission is primary care, focused on the development of compassionate physicians dedicated to serving Massachusetts, and especially the underserved areas of the state.”

More than 50 percent of each year’s graduating class from the School of Medicine enter primary care residency programs. Additionally, more than half of each class stays in Massachusetts for residency.

“As our students ready for Match Day on Friday—the moment at which they discover where they will begin their careers as doctors dedicated to serving patients—it is especially rewarding to be recognized for the national stature of our medical education program,” said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost and dean of the School of Medicine. “U.S. News & World Report validates the excellence exhibited by our students, faculty and staff.”

U.S. News & World Report surveyed and ranked 140 medical schools accredited in 2016 by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and 30 schools of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association based on measures of academic quality, which are weighted by reputation among faculty and residents, research activity, student selectivity and faculty resources. UMMS has been listed near the top of the category since 1994 when the magazine began publishing the rankings.